Florida Painting and Waterproofing | Value and What It Is?

When you hear the word value, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Low prices or something for nothing! Webster’s defines value as “a fair or proper equivalent in money, commodity for something sold or exchanged.” We have all been told by our parents, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” This same saying applies when you receive bids on projects. Too many times I’ve sat in board meetings as bids were being read and I thought “here we go again.” We have three bids all similar in price and one extremely low bid. Without a doubt, the board will consider the lowest bid knowing that “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Below are five easy steps to follow when determining a “value.”

Do Your Research: Check the contractor’s referral list and verify if past customers were happy with the completed job. Inquire about the contractors insurance certificates. A quality contractor will not question this inquiry.
Have a Specification Written for Your Project: Paint companies will write you a specification with a warranty at no charge. Communicate to the paint representative that you require the top-of-the-line products and that you will need numerous copies of the specification. Keep in mind, top-of-the-line products go further, last longer, and touch up/cover better when required. What does this mean to the customer? You use fewer products than you would with an inexpensive product. A real value when it comes to protecting your largest investment.
Pre-bid Meeting: Have a contractor meeting with all of the contractors involved. Read over the information with the contractors clarifying all details of the specification. They must follow the specification or they will not be considered for the project. Once an agreement is established with the contractor, then an “even bidding field” is open to all interested parties. All the contractors will pay approximately the same for the materials. Labor will be the deciding factor for the project.
Contractor Meeting: Have an individual contractor meeting. The contractor should communicate about his or her company and proposal. All specification guidelines are followed line after line.
Pick Your Contractor: It is now your decision. Which contractor did you feel you could work with through the duration of the project? Will the contractor be available if there is a warranty issue? Did you check the contractors referrals? Is the contractor insured and with whom? Did the contractor give you the best value for the project? Have you chosen your contractor?